Walmart Brings Drone Delivery to Tampa

Walmart drones will soon take to the Florida skies, starting in Tampa and Orlando stores. The retail giant has partnered with Wing to handle flights in this major expansion to 100 stores.

The delivery rollout covers five new markets - including Atlanta's neighborhoods, Charlotte's residential areas, and Houston's metro area alongside the Florida locations. Customers can get their items delivered from store to home in under 30 minutes.

Before expanding nationwide, Walmart completed 20,000 practice deliveries in test markets. Their Dallas-Fort Worth operation, currently running drones from 18 stores, proved the concept works.

"The popularity of drone delivery in DFW is a testament not just to its convenience but to the way this technology quickly becomes a part of everyday life," said Wing CEO Adam Woodworth to Wing.com.

These flying delivery bots now bring fresh food, medications, and household items straight to customers' yards. Popular deliveries include simple necessities - fruit, eggs, ice cream, and pet food lead the list.

Wing took over after Walmart's earlier partnership with DroneUp didn't work out. The change came following mixed success from their 2021 launch delivering COVID-19 test kits.

When the service fully launches next year, millions of homes will be able to receive quick aerial deliveries. The company hasn't announced specific store locations yet as they finalize plans across the nation. Click here to sign up for updates for when you can get your deliveries quicker in Tampa.